PSAL boys basketball beat writer Zach Braziller breaks down this week’s Class AA second round of playoffs at the higher seed. For live Twitter updates of all the action, click here.

SCHEDULE

TUESDAY

5 p.m. – No. 16 Gompers @ No. 1 Lincoln

5 p.m. – No. 15 Campus Magnet @ No. 2 Boys & Girls

5 p.m. – No. 9 Robeson @ No. 8 Forest Hills

WEDNESDAY

5 p.m. – No. 20 Transit Tech @ No. 4 Cardozo

5:30 p.m. – No. 14 Curtis vs. No. 3 Wings Academy @ Mott Haven

THURSDAY

5 p.m. – No. 21 Lehman @ No. 5 Thomas Jefferson

5 p.m. – No. 10 John F. Kennedy @ No. 7 South Shore

5 p.m. – No. 11 McKee/Staten Island Tech @ No. 6 Wadleigh

No. 1 Lincoln Railsplitters

Head coach: Dwayne (Tiny) Morton

Record: 25-2

Player to watch: Shaquille Stokes

No. 16 Gompers Panthers

Record: 13-10

Head coach: Ned Jackson

Player to watch: Carlos Galan

Outlook: Ranked 21st in the nation by USA Today, Lincoln has arguably the best backcourt in the city in senior Shaquille Stokes and freshman Isaiah Whitehead, a high-major big man in Kamari Murphy and several other pieces that would start for many other programs. If you think about it, it makes sense the Railsplitters have sat atop The Post’s NYC boys basketball top 10 for months and are favored to get to Madison Square Garden March 13.

Gompers, meanwhile, struggled down the stretch, dropping its opening-round borough playoff game to Bronx A East power Smith and needed to rally past No. 17 Beach Channel just to get the chance to visit Coney Island on Tuesday. The Panthers do have weapons, namely sensational sophomore guard Carlos Galan and rugged senior forward Ohndo Smith. Both will need to be at their best against powerful Lincoln.

No. 2 Boys & Girls Kanaroos

Head coach: Ruth Lovelace

Record: 20-6

Player to watch: Mike Taylor

No. 15 Campus Magnet Bulldogs

Head coach: Charles Granby

Record: 11-6

Player to watch: Jordan Parks

The Kangaroos were prohibitive favorites at the year’s outset, but the regular season was filled with highs and lows, from the two league losses to Lincoln to all the impressive non-league victories. Of course, Boys & Girls has lost just once – to fifth-seeded Thomas Jefferson – when whole and is expected to have junior forward Leroy (Truck) Fludd and Rutgers-bound Mike Taylor back for Campus Magnet.

Uniondale transfer Jordan Parks, a rangy and versatile 6-foot-6 forward who is already drawing mid-major Division I interest, emerged as one of Queens’ finest talents. But the Bulldogs aren’t a one man team; fellow juniors Tarik Raynor and Samuel Durodola have also impressed in recent weeks.

No. 3 Wings Academy Wings

Head coach: Billy Turnage

Record: 23-3

Player to watch: Amdy Fall

No. 14 Curtis Warriors

Head coach: Rich Buckheit

Record: 21-8

Player to watch: Dashawn Richmond

Outlook: It wouldn’t be over-the-top to describe this as Wings’ best regular season to date. It went undefeated in The Bronx and won its second straight borough crown. Unlike their recent teams, the Wings don’t live and die by the 3-pointer and they have a shot-blocking menace inside in 6-foot-6 forward Amdy Fall to go along with solid perimeter defenders like LIU-bound Gerrell Martin, Deonte Houston and Yoshimar Bernadez.

This is a unique Curtis team as well. The Warriors are still potent inside with Dashawn Richmond, Joseph Schettino and Debonair Edwards, but they are also blessed with several talented guards. Dontay Jackson, Omar Woods and Kevn McIntosh are all capable of making plays. The two teams met once before — Wings prevailed 54-42 in the PSAL Mid-Winter Classic Jan. 8 — but both sides have improved since then.

No. 4 Cardozo Judges

Head coach: Ron Naclerio

Record: 25-2

Player to watch: Shelton Mickell

No. 20 Transit Tech Express

Coach: Mike Perazzo

Record: 11-15

Player to watch: Anthony Prescott

Outlook: Cardozo is a hard team to read despite its lofty record. It went undefeated in Queens, which was one of the city’s softest boroughs, and didn’t play a demanding non-league schedule. The Judges do have experience (seniors Sheltom Mickell, Chris Gayot and Marquis Barnett), potential (Jermaine Lawrence is one of the area’s top sophomores) and adept role players (Tyrell Hunt and Barnett).

Don’t let the Express’s seed fool you – they are far better than the 20th-best team in Class AA. It took time for young players to gel with the veterans and Brooklyn AA – the PSAL’s version of the Big East – is no place for on-the-job training. Led by coach Mike Perazzo and standout guard Anthony Prescott, Transit Tech improved and blasted No. 14 Eagle Academy, 74-56, in the opening round.

No. 5 Thomas Jefferson Orange Wave

Head coach: Lawrence (Bud) Pollard

Record: 15-12

Player to watch: Thaddeus Hall

No. 21 Lehman Lions

Head coach: Chuck Hicks

Record: 7-13

Player to watch: Anthony Phillips

Outlook: On paper Jefferson is a championship contender, full of Division I talent like Davontay Grace (Manhattan College), Edson Avila (Manhattan College), Shamel Williams and Thaddeus Hall. Getting consistent play out of this group more than once a week has been a challenge for coach Lawrence (Bud) Pollard. The Orange Wave have beaten defending champion Boys & Girls twice and played Catholic powerhouse Christ the King extremely tough, but they have also lost too many games it should win. That being said, this is a nice matchup for Jefferson, which should be able to advance without being at their best.

Lehman needed to win its final two games just to reach the postseason, then shocked Bayside, 58-53, in the opening round behind 15 points from Anthony Phillips. It’s been a trying few years for Chuck Hicks, who lost his mother, brother and son in a span of eight months, but this mini-run has been uplifting for the longtime coach.

No. 6 Wadleigh Tigers

Head coach: Mike Crump

Record: 23-5

Player to watch: Trivante Bloodman

No. 11 McKee/Staten Island Tech Sea Gulls

Head coach: Charlie Donohue

Record: 22-8

Player to watch: Josh Good

Outlook: In many ways, these two teams are mirror images of one another: blessed with high-scoring guards, undersized but active forwards, programs looking to make a big postseason splash.

MSIT answers Wadleigh’s lethal backcourt duo of Trivante Bloodman and Basil Harley with Josh Good, Kareem Martin and Osa Izevbuw. The Tigers see MSIT’s Javon Cox and Brian Hogan-Gary and have Lincoln transfer Lazaro Martinez and junior Louis Costen. Neither side has made it to the semifinals in recent memory. One will get a step closer by Thursday night.

No. 7 South Shore Vikings

Head coach: Mike Beckles

Record: 15-12

Player to watch: Danny Thompson

John F. Kennedy Knights

Head coach: Johnny Mathis

Record: 17-10

Player to watch: Carlos DeJesus

Outlook: After a shaky start, South Shore rebounded to finish fourth in Brooklyn AA and post impressive wins over Lincoln, Jefferson and Robeson. The Vikings may be a PSAL favorite next year since they return standout sophomores Shamiek Sheppard and Terrence Samuel, promising juniors Wayne Martin, Ayodele Akinmola and Kwanique Martin and talented freshman Doudmy Saint Hilaire. But they are also a factor now as well and are especially dangerous when senior sharpshooter Danny Thompson is at his best.

Like South Shore, Kennedy was going nowhere at the midpoint of the season, closer to last than first in Bronx AA. Slowly, reinforcements started to trickle in. First came Carlos DeJesus, a diminutive but potent guard, next was Bishop Loughlin transfer Anthony (Face) Givens, a pass-first point guard, and southpaw Darius Ward. Kennedy finished third in The Bronx, reached the borough title game thanks to those additions and expects to make a long postseason run, too.

No. 8 Forest Hills Rangers

Head coach: Bob Sprance

Record: 14-11

Player to watch: Jose Torres

No. 9 Robeson Eagles

Head coach: Todd Myles

Record: 13-12

Player to watch: Darrel Lucky

Outlook: Forest Hills lost its coach, Ben Chobhaphand, to a one-year suspension for illegal recruiting, a devastating blow to this group of seniors. It has had two non-league games to adjust to new coach Bob Sprance and assistant Anthony Dulin taking over as the real head coach.

Robeson’s season can hardly be described as calm by comparison. Standout guard Darrel Lucky has missed a few games because of discilplinary reasons and the Eagles failed down the stretch after outplaying title favorites Lincoln, Boys & Girls and Thomas Jefferson. When right, which means when Lucky and fellow undersized guards Tremayne Frazier and Shawn Ponds are at their best, Robeson can be a handful.